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Thanks to the advent of the freeway systems of the 50's and the airline travel boom of the 60's, modern vacationing, or leisure travel was born. And today, the dream of a vacation is more accessible than ever! But this wasn't always the case. For centuries only the privileged classes enjoyed this freedom. They played, as others toiled...

Leisure travel has always symbolized luxury, freedom, pleasure and satisfaction. In fact, the word luxury derives from the Latin word luxu, signifying sensuality, abundance and splendor. The Greeks even believed leisure was the quintessence of civilized living. Leisure they called school, the pursuit of experience and learning. An apt word, which we've adopted as our own: School!

Following the Industrial Revolution, our grandfathers and grandmothers, many born in foreign lands, yearned for a life of freedom and relaxation. It was after all . . . the promise of democracy. Yet for most of them the life of the Great Gatsby would remain a dream. Year's later, technology would leverage their hard work for our benefit and for the generations to come. And we thank them for that.

During the last century, our leisure time has almost doubled. And this trend promises to continue! In the last twenty years more wealth was produced than in the previous 4 million years! The next twenty years are expected to double the world's GNP (Gross National Product) - its output of goods and services. Our standard of living, after adjusting for population growth, will rise by almost two-thirds! As Oscar Wilde wrote: "Give me the luxuries in life and I can dispense with the necessities." Today's citizens no longer yearn for vacations and leisure travel, they demand it. And that's where timeshares come in.

Timesharing as a form of vacationing began in the early 1960s in Europe, when various families shared in the ownership of a vacation home. Instead of one family owning a vacation home and only using it several weeks a year, it made more sense to share the time with others. This way each family owned what they used and shared the upkeep and costs proportionally.

When this "shared vacation home" concept arrived in America in the early 70's, it took the form of furnished condominiums and mega resorts offered as weekly increments rather than vacation homes.

Like any new concept, timeshares have had their growing pains. Once renowned for high-pressure sales, long on promises and short on delivery, the industry has undergone regulation both from inside and out greatly improving public acceptance and security. And resort developers discovered that greater consumer satisfaction leads to greater profits. The more they improve their product, the greater its acceptance and popularity. Recognizable names like Disney, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Starwood and Wyndham now offer timeshare and they have helped improve the image.

Today more and more people are discovering the benefits of timesharing. To date, over 4.5 million households worldwide own a timeshare at some 5,000 resorts in over 130 countries! In fact, timesharing is now the fastest growing segment of the hospitality industry.